Collapsible tube



Looms Sept. 21 1926.

F. F. B. CHAPMAN COIIJLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed April 22, 192e waw: fra/@a 7m/Www,

Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE.`

Application nieu April 22,

This invention relates to a collapsible tube charged with plastic material such as tooth j paste, and provided with a rigid externally threaded mouth and an `internally threaded cap adapted to be screwed upon the mouth and close thev bore thereof, a collapsible tube thus characterized being a well knownarticle of manufacture.

prevent the loss of the cap 4when it is unscrewed4 from the mouth,- and the well known disadvantages resulting from su ch loss.

I attain this object by attaching to the capone end of an innertube. which extends through and is longer lthan. the mouth bore and s-movable in the bore and provided with a lateral dispensing outlet between/its ends, and is formed at its inner end tocooperate with stop means-in the mouth to limit' outward -movement of the inner tube, the inner tube rotating with the ca when'the latter is being screwed on and o the mouth,

and being movable outward by the Vunscrewed cap to an extent limited by -said stop means, so that the dispensingoutlet is ing the mouth o en;

exposed and the inner tube constitutes atv once a dispensing conduit and a cap con-- finer preventing loss of the cap. v

Of lthe accompanging drawings a art of this speci cation,-

ig. 1 is a sectional view of a portion of'a collapsible tube embodying the'l invention, themouth being closed; Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig. 1, showare enlar ed" sectional Figs. V3, 4 an v5 e innertube views of the collapsible tube, and the cap.

The same reference characters designate the sameparts in allof the figures..

Thewall 12, he breafst 14 shown by the drawings are constructed as usual in collapsible tubes, the mouth being rigid and provided with' an external screw thread and a smooth bore. The capv 15 is adapted in the usual way to bepscrewed to the mouth andclose thebore thereof, the cap being providedl .with an internal screwthread l'to engage the external thread of the mouth. In carrying out my invention I attach' to the cap 15 one end of a separately formed inner tube' 16 which is preferably of aluminum. The inner tube is-longer than the neck 14, and has a sliding fit in the bore orinin'gA 13,and the mouth i926. serial 110.103.384.

thereof. Between the ends of the inner tube of the inner tube 16 is provided with stop The chief object of the invention is to means adapted, to cooperate with the sto means on thefinner tube being preferably a tapered enlargement 18 of the inner end portion of the tube, adapted to abut against the tapered zone 17 'of the mouth bore as shown by Figy2.

When the cap is screwed upon the mouth, the inner tube'rprojects into the collapsible tube as shown by Fig. 1. When the cap is unscrewed, the inner tube rotates with it.

The length of the innen tube is such thatafter the cap is unscrewed the cap and the inner tubev are movable outward to the position shown by Fig. 2, this movement exposing the dispensing outlet 16 so that plastic material in the collapsible tube may be forced throu h the inner tube and outlet. The inner tu e and cap are prevented by the stop meansV from.moving outward from the position shown by Fig. 2, so that the inner tube constitutes a conner preventing loss o'f the cap. The stop means formed by the tapered bore zone -17 and the tapered enlargement 18f'of the inner tube permits the location of the inner epd portion of the innertube wholly within the neckl bore when the inner tube is in dispensing position, so that the lastremnant ofthe charge'in the collapsible tube may be forced into the vinner -tube,none being left unused in the collapsi;

ble tube. l

The cap 15. is preferably provided with a centralI recess 21 of smaller diameter than the internal thread 15"., said recess receiving and closely fitting the outer end portion of the .inner tube, and with orifices 22 in the wall 'of said recess. The outer end portion of the inner tube is provided with orifices 23 coinciding with the orifices 22. The inner tube may therefore be attached to the 'ca by a pin 24 forced into said orifices. T e pin may be removable so 4that after the collapsible tube is exhausted the inner tube may be disconnected from the cap and drawn inwardlyfrom the mouth bore, the collapsible tube being cut away or opened at its inner end to permit this. The inner tube and cap 'may then be assembled wth another collapsible tube, so that the inner 4tube and cap are not' necessarily discarded wli'en the life of the-collapsible tube t'o which they were' originally applied is ended.

I claim: t

v1. A collapsible tube having ternally threaded smoothbored mouth, an inner tube longer than the mouth and having a sliding fit therein, the inner tube having a lateral dispensing 'outlet between its ends, the mouth and inner tube being provided with stop means limiting the outward` movement of the tube and permitting the outward projection of the tube from the mouth, a cap formed separately from the inner tube and provided with an `internal screw thread formed to engage the external thread of the mouth, and with an internal central recess of smaller diameter than the internal thread, and formed to receive the outer end portion of the inner tube, and means for retaining the inner tube in said recess and causing movement of the inner tube with the ca' 2. A collapsibfe tube as specified by claim i 1, the said stop 'means being embodied in' a taperin enlargement of the inner end portion o .the mouth bore, and a` tapering enlargement of the innervend portion of the inner tube adapted to enter the` bore enlargement, 'the arrangement being such that when the tube enlargementpis in the bore enlargementthe inner tube is wholly within the neck bore outside the storage space in the collapsible tube and adapted to receive the last remnant of a ehargetherein.

3. A collapsible tube having a rigid eX-iv ternally threaded smooth bored mouth, an

inner tube longer than the mouth and havinternal thread, and formed to receive the outer end portion of the inner tube, the cap being provided with a pinv inserted in coinciding orifices in the recess wall of the cap 'and the inner tube, land separably attaching the latter to the cap.

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my signature.

FRANK F. B. CHAPMAN. 

